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Re: Teaching da kiddos
#sawmethods
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Hey Stan, My kids have had a place in my shop since they were probably around 5 years old each (they're 9 and 11 now). But not when I'm in production mode. If I'm focused and have a deadline, or if I have workers in the shop with me, they know they can get my attention through the windows in the shop door.? But when it's hobby woodworking time, they can be in the shop, wearing shoes and safety glasses. They dig through the scrap bins, grab whatever they want, and can clamp pieces in the vise, drill holes, sand, screw things together, use fine tooth Japanese saws, hammer, and ask any question that pops into their head. And a lot of random questions pop into the heads of kids. It's a lot like playing catch with your kids in that it is an amazing opportunity to bond, joke around, and have actual conversations beyond "how was school today....fine....". When my daughter was 9, she had a project for music class. She had to make an instrument out of anything. Could have been a milk jug and a stick. But she came to the woodshop, and she made a mahogany box drum out of scraps from the bin. She designed it, she did all of the woodworking and finishing, and she was so proud. I didn't do any of the cutting, but I set up all the cuts for her and supervised every step of the way. She used: sliding table saw, planer, jointer, bandsaw, 23ga nail gun, sander, palm router, sanding block, scraper, chisel and mallet (to tune the two tones on the top plates, experimenting with taking a little more off to raise the pitch). She masked off around the glue joints, glued and clamped, learned how to apply oil finishes. And I learned about her music class, the kids' names, the music teacher's eccentricities, what my daughter thinks about reggae, etc. By the time your kids are ready for the slider, my guess is that Felder with have their flesh sensing tech available on the lower priced machines (not just the Format4). Might be a good excuse for a new saw at that point! -Shawn .
On Friday, February 11, 2022, 10:15:59 AM PST, Bob Wise <bob@...> wrote:
I have kids now 12 and 14, and they are welcome in the shop. I also have not let them operate (yet) table saw on their own. Or shaper :-). They are quite proficient on the bandsaw, which is a lot safer. I got them started a scroll saw, which might be easy cut a finger on, but is unlikely to cut a finger off. I grew up on a farm.? I was using a table saw unsupervised at 14, was chainsawing in the woods without chaps (kevlar chaps weren't a thing back then), running heavy farm equipment, driving tractors on public roads, and more then welcome to grab a firearm from the case and go shooting by myself as well any time. I'm not sure whether that was just old school raised-on-farm, or whether that is just the differing social norms on safety from N years ago. I try to imagine letting my kids do what I did back then at the same age and I can't get there. -Bob On Fri, Feb 11, 2022 at 8:49 AM Johannes Becker <paddy.mcgree@...> wrote: It looks like you have still a few years to figure that out.? My kids were and are always welcome in the shop and as teenagers are now able to operate many machines.? But that is a slow progression.? They first started out hammering hundreds of nails into scrap and sanding things into oblivion.? I started them with the necessary safety gear immediately: small safety glasses and their own Peltor kids ear protection.? Next was explaining the risks of the various tools? and machines and explaining where there are safe places to stand and observe.? Chisels are quite a frightening thing if used wrong and a plane has a far lower potential for serious injury.? It took them many years and discussions on what may go wrong when using machines before they started operating them.? A band saw can take fingers off in a hurry but is a much safer tool than a miter saw.? A slider (especially with hold-downs) is a pretty safe machine in my opinion.? However, they are still intimidated by the apparent complexity and only use it when I am around.? It is not so much that I don't think it is safe but they don't feel comfortable.? |
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